Handicraft for boys

by A. Frederick Collins

Saw out, or carve out, or both, the head and body of a black rascal named Sambo, and make them of a single piece of wood; saw out a pair of arms and legs but make each one of the latter in two parts and joint them at the knees as shown at [A in Fig. 104].

Fasten the arms and legs to the body with pins so that they will swing freely. The figure should be about 6 inches high and painted in 3 or 4 bright colors. When you have it done fix the end of a wire ¹⁄₁₆ inch in diameter and 5 inches long, firmly into the back of Sambo’s body.

Make a box 3 inches wide, 3 inches high and 6 inches long; bore or cut a hole ³⁄₄ inch in diameter in one end; turn it upside down and drill a ¹⁄₁₆ hole through the middle of the top and drill a ¹⁄₁₆ inch hole through both sides 2 inches back from the large hole in it as shown at [B].

Fig. 104b. the mechanism of the dancing sambo

Cut off a strip of wood ¹⁄₂ an inch square and as long as the box is wide, drill a ¹⁄₁₆ inch hole through it and glue it inside the box so that the hole in the strip and the one in the top of the box will be in a line.

Now cut off a strip of hardwood ¹⁄₄ inch thick and 3¹⁄₂ inches long for the lever and drill a ¹⁄₁₆ inch hole through it 2 inches from one end; slip the lever through the hole in the end of the box with its end under the cross-bar; pivot the lever by running a wire through the hole in it and the sides of the box as shown at [B].

Slip the wire which is fixed to Sambo through the hole in the top of the box and on down through the hole in the cross-bar so that its free end rests on the end of the lever. This is all there is to the working mechanism of Sambo.

By working the end of the lever with your fingers as though you were sending a telegraph message, as shown at [A], the small time Ethiopian will execute all sorts of fancy dance steps and cut up antics that will keep the children, and the grown-ups too, in great good humor for a long time.

By working the lever cleverly you can give the darkey distinctive characteristics that not even a member of his own race ever possessed.